From the website of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, here is an interesting un-annotated list “of some of the confidence building measure recently taken by Israel towards this end:
1. Releasing Withheld Tax and Customs Revenues – About 1 Billion NIS (approx. $250 million) have already been transferred to the PA, and the remainder of the revenues, another 1 Billion NIS, will be transferred by the end of the year. Israel and the PA have established a mutually acceptable mechanism for transferring and monitoring these funds, to prevent their use by terrorist organizations.
2. Promoting Palestinian Development:
- Promotion of Sewage Project with World Bank in Gaza, now underway in Beit Lahia, and serving the Northern Gaza strip
- MASHAV Projects – More than 230 Palestinian Trainees in such fields as Public Health, Small Business, Agriculture, Import/Export, Educational Planning and Empowerment of Women and Youth
3. Security-related Measures:
- Easing of Movement – 25 roadblocks and checkpoints were removed in the West Bank
- Amnesty of Wanted Terrorists – About 170 wanted Fatah terrorists were offered amnesty in exchange for renunciation of terrorism and surrendering of weapons.
- Prisoner Release – About 350 prisoners were released in two phases (20 July and 1 October) with a third phase now being contemplated.
- Provisions for PA Security Forces – Israel recently consented to the transfer of supplies and equipment to the PA Security Forces, above and beyond that called for in the Israel-Palestinian agreements.
- Palestinian Security Force Deployment – PA security forces, with Israel’s consent, have just been redeployed in Nablus (the largest West Bank city), and other cities are being considered for further redeployments.
4. Re-convening the Bilateral Committees established in the Oslo Accords, in order to address the ongoing needs of the Palestinian Authority:
- Health, Tourism and Agriculture Committees already working
- Legal Committee and Joint Economic Committee (established by the Paris Accord) to begin working soon
5. Expanding Economic Cooperation:
- Meetings of Business Community Leaders – Lately Israel has facilitated and supported several meetings between Israeli and Palestinian business community which have taken place under various non-governmental auspices. For example, the Israeli Manufactures Association has conducted a high level forum with Palestinian counterparts, and the Portland Fund has initiated the establishment of an Israeli-Palestinian Chamber of Commerce.
- Promotion of Economic Projects with International Partners – Turkey’s Industrial Zone Project in Tarqumieh and Japan’s ‘Corridor of Peace’ Project in Jericho are two such projects”.
The Israeli list of their confidence-building measures is posted here.
Tags: Annapolis conference, confidence-building measures, Israel